1883.] Geology and Paleontology. IQI 
New MAMMALIA FROM THE Puerco Eocene.— Professor E. D. 
Cope recently read a paper before the American Philosophical So- 
ciety, in which he described nine new species of vertebrates from 
the above horizon, and extended the characters of several species 
previously little known. All are Mammalia excepting one spe- 
cies of serpent, which was named Helagras prisciformis. Its ver- 
tebrz present the peculiarity of having the zygantrum open on 
each side of the middle line so as to expose the angles of the zy- 
gosphen. The projecting median part of the roof of the zygan- 
trum remaining, forms a process which Professor Cope named an 
episphen, This character represents an incompleteness of the 
zygantrum appropriate to the antiquity of the species, which is the 
oldest known snake from North America. A new genus of Mam- 
malia was named Mirodectes. It was regarded as intermediate be- 
tween Cynodontomys,and the Eocene half-lemurs. Two species, M. 
pungens, and M. crassiusculus were named. The other new spe- 
cies are, Triisodon levisianus, Phenacodus calceolatus, Mioclenus 
meniscus, M. bucculentus and M. ferox. The last species is the 
largest of the genus, probably equaling a wolf in size. Both 
are represented by considerable parts of the skeleton, and these 
possess the general characters of the Creodonta. The dental 
characters would refer the genus to the Arctocyonide. Two 
Species, (M. brachystomus and M. etsagicus), from the Wa- 
Satch Eocene, have been referred to this genus, on account 
of the technical identity of the dental characters. These char- 
acters are also the same in the genus Pantolestes, which has been 
referred to the Mesodonta, but without knowledge of the skel- 
eton. Now it has been demonstrated that the Mioclænus brachy- 
Stomus is an artiodactyle. It can therefore no longer be referred 
to Mioclænus, and as the dentition is identical with that of Pan- 
tolestes, it may, with the M. etsagicus be placed in the latter 
pp Pantolestes must then be provisionally arranged with the 
rtiodacty la, although the skeleton of the type, P. longicaudus of 
the Bridger epoch, is unknown. This case illustrates the impos- 
sibility of deciding on the affinities of some Eocene mammalia by 
e 
the dentition alone —Z. D. Cope. 
cept by the 
^ tne heart of the glacier. On the other hand, Professor Hagen- 
_ S8ch-Bischoff thinks M. Forel’s theory inapplicable to the com- 
o Pa of the glacier proper (though it may explain the change 
Of pulverulent snow into that of the névé, and the change of the 
ʻa 
